These Portable Panels Can Turn Your Umbrella into a Charging Station

These portable solar panels can fit over your umbrella, transforming your beach day oasis into one that's compatible with your devices.

It's not uncommon for a relaxing beach day to be interrupted by the annoying red battery bar on your smart device. Whether your battery died scrolling through Instagram, or diving into a new novel on your eReader, no one wants to leave their prime sun bathing location to charge their devices. Inventor Erik Hawkins created his panel device to combat this issue. The portable solar panels simply fit over top of a traditional umbrella, harvesting enough energy to charge several smart devices at the same time.

As smart technology becomes more ingrained in our everyday lives, devices like the solar powered umbrella become more prevalent, ensuring that our devices can go everywhere we do.